The De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter had just touched down at Saint-Barthélemy when the airplane veered left and off the runway as the captain tried and failed to halt the excursion. The Twin Otter’s left wing struck a parked Eurocopter AS350, and the airplane then pivoted and came to a stop.
Two of the eight passengers and crewmembers received minor injuries in the Aug. 24, 2023, accident, which left the Twin Otter with substantial damage and the helicopter “economically unrepairable,” according to the final report by the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA).
The BEA investigation determined that, during the landing, the nosewheel had not been centered; instead, it was turned to the left, and when the nosewheel touched down, the airplane began its leftward deviation. The captain, who was the pilot flying, was unable to correct the deviation “despite his actions (rudder, ailerons, and then asymmetric use of reverse thrust),” and the Twin Otter then v…
